


I (Do Not) Work Alone

by LeopardFire



Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: And unlucky, Therion is a grump, save him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-19 20:37:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15518112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeopardFire/pseuds/LeopardFire
Summary: Why would Therion ever work with anyone else? He's trusted another before only to have been burned, after all. As soon as he finished his contract with Cordelia, he intended to go back to acting solo.How silly of Therion to assume the world cared about his intentions.





	I (Do Not) Work Alone

**Author's Note:**

> I chose Therion as my starting traveler, so it was kinda disconcerting seeing him go from his whole lone wolf shtick to picking up a ton of groupies. So, I decided to make my own explanation as to why he would team up with anyone in the first place!

It was during a bright and early morning that Therion found himself guided by a sweeping river. For someone used to slumming it in the barren Boulderfall, one would expect him to find it a pleasant experience, perhaps even calming. The sparkling water rippling by his side, the grass tickling his ankles, the gentle breeze ruffling his hair… The serene atmosphere Riverland natives boasted of was certainly not exaggerated.

  
But Therion didn’t give a damn about any of that.

  
_“Rumours abound of a_ dragonstone _in Noblecourt. I suggest it is there that you start your search.”_

  
Heathcote’s orders weighed much too heavily on Therion’s shoulders for him to draw in his surroundings. While he had never justified the art of his theft for noble measures, it just felt wrong to steal from other thieves to give back to the rich. And besides, Cordelia was not exactly lacking in precious family heirlooms regardless of the dragonstones. Her parents had left her an entire estate to remember them by, after all.

  
_Not like my opinion is going to change the situation at hand,_ he silently reminded himself as his eyes flickered to the black bangle entrapping his left wrist. _Just retrieve the damn stones and you get back to business as usual._

  
Desperately in need of a pick-me-up, Therion rummaged through his bag for an apple. With the journey from Boulderfall to Noblecourt bound to span several days, the more walking and eating he could do at once, the better.

  
The decision was a rational one. Far too rational to work out as Therion expected it would.

  
“Aelfric be damned!” he spat as the bitter mush invaded his taste buds. Blinking away the tears burning his eyes, he tossed the clearly rotted apple away - with the arm branded by the bangle, at a tree crushed the decaying fruit into a brown puddle with a satisfying _splat_.

  
Of course, that small pleasure was not to last, as Therion was not the only thing around to hear it. Quickly enough, a new sound filled his ears, one that Therion realized the Riverlands natives also did not exaggerate: the hissing wings of a hoard of Warrior Wasps.

  
First, his thievery skills, now this rotten apple - everything that Therion had once trusted was betraying him.

  
But again, he did not have time to lament his fate. Therion whipped out his dagger - running was futile, and would only allow his foes the first strike - but one man against what must have been half-a-dozen Warrior Wasps stood little chance regardless.

  
The venom of a Warrior Wasp stinger acted fast. Therion could clash blades with the sharpest of guards in his thieving escapades, but nothing could have prepared him for the searing pain that rippled through his body as stinger lodged itself into his left arm. At once, his dagger hit the ground, and shortly enough, Therion’s entire body had crumpled to the ground.

  
This wasn’t good.

  
It was bad.

  
Real bad.

  
He didn’t want to die.

  
He didn’t want his body to be found like this.

  
Not with the fool’s bangle still on his wrist.

  
But as he should have come to expect, Therion’s desires were completely ignored, and he drifted away into nothingness a branded fool.

-

“Hey, are you with me?”

  
Therion blinked his eyes open to a blonde man towering over him. For a heartbeat, he considered the possibility he had truly died, and some angel had come to chastise him for using Aelfric’s name in vain. But then he noticed the satchel and weird herby smell, coming to the realization that the gods had sent him someone far more useful.

  
“Are you a…” Therion’s inquiry was broke off as a jolt of pain rattled his body. The man gave him a sympathetic smile.

  
“The cure for Warrior Wasp venom takes a while to settle in,” he explained as Therion groaned and shut his eyes. “And I can only imagine the amount in your system, given how many of ‘em were harassing you!”

  
That’s right. How did this one man manage to save Therion from all those wasps? He opened his eyes again, this time taking note of the Warrior Wasp corpses littered around the two of them. And, of course, the bloody axe the man had at his side.

  
Well, that explained it.

  
“Anywho,” the man went on, “The name’s Alfyn. I’m an apothecary from Clearbrook. And you are…?”

  
“Therion,” he mumbled back, deciding that Alfyn had no need to know his profession or from whence he came.

  
“Well, Therion,” Alfyn said, seemingly not put out by his short response, “We’re gonna need to hang out here for a bit while the medicine kicks in, so let’s get to business.”

  
Of course, the apothecary expected a fee for saving his life.

  
“How much?” he asked, eying his bag, which now laid at Alfyn’s side. There was no doubt that he had sifted through the apples and leaves to find just how much he could make off of his unwilling client.

  
But Alfyn shook his head. “I don’t do what I do for coin. But I would appreciate if you would lend me your skills.”

  
_Skills?_ Did he mean…

  
“Someone’s quick to judge,” Therion retorted, hoping to get the man off his trail. “What skills could I have that you’re possibly interested in?”

  
Alfyn chuckled. “Aw, don’t play dumb.” He waggled Therion’s left arm, only to drop it when the former winced. “Oops, sorry about that. But when I was treating your sting, it was kinda impossible to not see that nice bangle ya got there.”

  
Therion felt his face flush with embarrassment. Swept up in the sudden turn of events, he had completely forgotten about the stupid bracelet. Of course, this Alfyn would take advantage of a man in his position.

  
“What do you want?” he muttered.

  
Alfyn perked up as if he hadn’t expected Therion to give in so easily. Still, he was more than ready to launch into an explanation of his own predicament. “Well, you see, there’s this girl, and poison, and a snake…”

  
“You want me to steal some snake poison? From a snake?”

  
“Well, I just think your nimble thief hands would be much more suited for it than myself,” Alfyn said, “And besides, if you think I was going to give a marked criminal clear passage into my hometown…” He rested his hand on the axe bloodied with Warrior Wasp guts.

  
“Message received,” Therion muttered. “I’ll do it.”

  
Just one more pact couldn’t hurt. If he could just get through this, Therion would refocus himself onto the paths of the dragonstones with no more distractions.

  
It was only later on that Therion realized it was such a train of thought that would keep on landing him in these situations.


End file.
